


For the good of betting

by LinaLuthor



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Claude manipulates everyone, Edeleth, Edelgard has to confront her feelings, F/F, Teacher-Student Relationship, Vaginal Fingering, cute until it escalates, ferdinand/hubert makes an appearance, fluffy parts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:13:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor
Summary: ‘You cannot be serious.’ Edelgard replied, still taken aback.‘Oh, I am! And I can show you the parchment where all bets are written. There are high hopes for Sylvain, believe it or not, but my favorite insofar is Bernie. Who would have thought she would actually go for it?’ Claude grinned, putting a hand on his tousled hair.Edelgard would have a serious conversation with Bernie the next time they met. Preferably alone. Preferably soon.‘So, how would you beautiful people like to participate?’ Claude inquired, laid back as always yet acutely aware of how uncomfortable Edelgard was.‘Are you insane? There is no way I will take part in this… blasphemy!’ The woman exploded after a few seconds of astounded silence, anger getting the best of her. ‘This is so horribly demeaning to professor Byleth and just a huge waste of time in general. Plus, I am sure my teacher will have our heads off if she even dreams - ‘‘Ooooour heads off, eh? So you will participate! Will you bet or will you fight for her heart?’ Claude shot back with a victorious smile.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 136





	For the good of betting

**Author's Note:**

> Chaos ensues once Claude decides to get rich and help a few friends out (for his own benefit, of course). So what if it could make a very enamoured Edelgard kill him sooner or later?

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Some students sighed in relief, as it had been a day of both tactical and practical lessons. Almost every pupil in the Black Eagles classroom rose to their feet and bolted outside the door as soon as they could, barely wishing their professor a good evening.

That is, except for Edelgard and her loyal bodyguard Hubert (though he had only stoodstill once he realized his lady wasn’t moving). The woman’s expression was lost, her mind far afield as she stared at professor Byleth going through the motions of gathering papers, books and other personal belongings. 

‘So graceful…’ Edelgard mused over a whisper, but unfortunately one that Hubert could hear. 

Ah, so that was the source of her distraction. While it was good to see his lady finally showing feelings for another person, at the same time he rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it. She was an intelligent, beautiful woman, heir to the Empire to say the least, and surely could have her pick between available suitors.  
Did she really need to fall for their professor, of all people? And a former mercenary at that. The mere idea of her pining for someone was already stupid enough to begin with. 

‘Lady Edelgard?’ Hubert softly said so as to break her out of that reverie, not for his sake but for her own. Things could get nasty if the professor noticed there was something off with her. 

‘Oh, I’m sorry Hubert, did you say something?’ The woman inquired, trying her hardest to not feel guilty over being caught in the act. 

‘No, but class has been dismissed and if I remember correctly you had to get a few books in the library before supper.’ 

Edelgard nodded and rose to her feet. ‘Indeed. Thank you for reminding me, let’s go at once.’ 

They finally got out of the classroom, but not before Edelgard could shot Byleth a smile and thank her for her assistance in that day. The professor’s response had been appropriate for Hubert’s standards (a smile back and a wish of a good evening), so the teal-haired woman could live for now. 

Something would have to be done about it, though. It was no good for his lady to keep suffering for their rather mysterious teacher. He didn’t believe Edelgard would die of a broken heart, should her love be one-sided, but it was about time for her to have a partner anyway. 

With a quick grin, he decided to give it some thought once the day was over and trailed the princess as if nothing strange had just happened.

The following days kept going in their same usual pace. Hubert noticed that Edelgard had been growing more and more distracted during classes or whenever their teacher was present. She would stare intently at the woman without blinking, turn in assignments with a level of detail that was unnecessary and hustle through her fellow classmates even when she was close to exhaustion on practice battles. In return, Byleth was more than happy to praise her work and admonish her to not overdo it. 

All of these things combined made the princess feel more and more proud of herself. Perhaps that boost in confidence would help her get what she really wanted, but for now she had been avoiding the one most important step in building a relationship: getting to know each other. 

And unfortunately for her, other students had not made that same mistake.  
It took her some time to notice it as well, since she was too wrapped up in her little internal world, where Byleth was already hers. One day Edelgard and Hubert were strolling through the officers’ academy on their free time, enjoying the bland sunlight and speaking of the latest book they had read. 

That was when they saw professor Byleth being invited to tea by an overenthusiastic Dorothea, who tugged on the teacher’s arm so as to usher her. Edelgard stopped walking and watched in awe (and something akin to envy, but she couldn’t really name it then) as the woman complied and the duo went away with smiles on their faces.

‘Hmpf, I didn’t take the professor to be the social type.’ The princess commented, ill-conceived anger seeping through her voice. 

‘Well, just yesterday she was strolling around the lake with Sylvain, then baking sweets with Mercedes before supper and having said supper with Petra, Dimitri and Hilda.’ Hubert informed her, watching as her face fell at every name and activity mentioned. ‘Oh, a few days ago she was helping Bernadetta with her paintings and embroidery, doing some crest research with Linhardt and – ‘ 

‘Ok, enough, I get it.’ Edelgard held up a hand in defeat, head spinning with what she had just seen and heard. Even someone as recluse as Bernie had invited the professor over for something? ‘That is so sudden, though. It didn’t use to be like that. She was always by herself in the library, her room or…’ 

‘Oh, haven’t you heard of the school bet?’ A third voice said from behind them.  
They turned around and were faced by a grinning Claude, who apparently had overheard them while he meandered around, a half-eaten apple in hand. 

‘School bet? Not that I trust any word that comes out of your mouth, but go on. What is this about, Claude?’ The princess inquired, more interested than she wanted to show. 

‘Eh, I have proof to support my words, your Royalness.’ He gave her a mock bow before going on. ‘You see, we students of Garreg Mach come from all over Fódlan. We have different habits, different cultures, different food… But by asking around I realized we have one thing in common.’

‘And that is?’ The woman demanded, impatient. 

‘That every single one of us, regardless of our House and upbringing, seem to think that Professor Byleth is hot.’

Edelgard was speechless at that. Some color rose to her cheek, but she refused to say anything that could confirm his suspicion. ‘Your… your point?’ she stammered, throat suddenly dry.

‘Well, I thought, why not spice things up a little? Sitting through lectures and fighting our peers can only be fun to a certain point, right? Plus, there’s nothing wrong with some old-fashioned school romance. 

‘So I set up a bet: whoever manages to woo our dearest Teach wins. Now, there are two ways in which you can participate. You can either be one of the lucky contenders who actually tries to get Teach’s heart, or you can bet on the ones who are trying if you’re too shy to go for it yourself. All bets can be made in money, jewelry and other valuables and they are written down on paper, then signed so that everything is legit.’ 

And she had thought things couldn’t get any worse than seeing Byleth almost hand in hand with Dorothea. 

‘You cannot be serious.’ Edelgard replied, still taken aback. 

‘Oh, I am! And I can show you the parchment where all bets are written. There are high hopes for Sylvain, believe it or not, but my favorite insofar is Bernie. Who would have thought she would actually go for it?’ Claude grinned, putting a hand on his tousled hair. 

Edelgard would have a serious conversation with Bernie the next time they met. Preferably alone. Preferably soon. 

‘So, how would you beautiful people like to participate?’ Claude inquired, laid back as always yet acutely aware of how uncomfortable Edelgard was.

‘Are you insane? There is no way I will take part in this… blasphemy!’ The woman exploded after a few seconds of astounded silence, anger getting the best of her. ‘This is so horribly demeaning to professor Byleth and just a huge waste of time in general. Plus, I am sure my teacher will have our heads off if she even dreams - ‘ 

‘Ooooour heads off, eh? So you will participate! Will you bet or will you fight for her heart?’ Claude shot back with a victorious smile. 

‘I never said I would!’ Edelgard retorted, now fully blushing and scared of how her hands were shaking. ‘Seriously, what’s wrong with you people?’ She turned on her heels and walked away, Hubert a shadow behind her. 

When they turned around one last time, they saw Claude chewing on his apple and grinning as Hilda approached him, an heirloom in hands. Edelgard huffed and almost ran away from there, too distressed to say anything for the rest of their break. 

Edelgard couldn’t say for sure what was the last drop. Maybe it was seeing how Dorothea and Byleth had looked so completely refreshed after their tea time. Maybe it was the stares the professor seemed to trade with Ferdinand, or the encouraging smiles she shot Bernie whenever the girl’s anxiety skyrocketed (aka, almost every three seconds). 

For the rest of their lessons, the princess was hyper aware of how other students behaved and how Byleth responded. When Petra needed extra help maneuvering an axe and their teacher had to physically help her, Edelgard thought she would explode. Surely the touching was completely professional, but what if it wasn’t? When Mercedes passed by and invited the Professor for some treats after class, she almost shot to her feet and chased the girl away with an actual axe. 

The day went on like that, with each interaction making Edelgard more and more angry at others and most importantly herself for not putting a stop to the whole thing. “Stupid bet”, she thought, swinging a practice sword with more strength than necessary at Caspar’s head. “I have to do something about this before it is too late.” 

And that’s why, after dinner had been served and the students were requested to go back to their rooms, Edelgard approached Claude before he could vanish from sight.  
‘Write my name down as one of the contenders.’ She simply said, then walked away before someone could even register what had just happened. 

She and Hubert went over several ideas during that night, discussing and dissecting each one until they yawned over their words, yet he was willing to endure it for his lady’s sake and happiness. Unfortunately his request of threatening Byleth into giving in to Edelgard’s charm was utterly denied, so they would have to resort to the age-old methods of courtship.

‘I don’t think she actually enjoys all these social events.’ Edelgard commented at their clandestine meeting in her room. ‘She seems to be so reserved, so…’ She sighed, half in appreciation for her teacher, half due to the effort of trying to figure her out. 

‘Indeed, but you have to admit she rarely says no to any of them. So maybe it would be ok for the two of you to have some tea.’ He countered, sipping the cup of tea they had made earlier. ‘Gifts would be in order, but I don’t think swords are actually romantic.’ 

‘Ugh, as if I knew what romance is. You tell me, though. You did manage to woo a few students since day one.’ She teased, grinning through his uneasy stare. 

Hubert waved the matter away. ‘Nothing worthy of my time, as always.’ He gave the matter some thought, then said: ‘Maybe objects of valor wouldn’t impress her- she used to be a mercenary after all. But what about handmade ones?’ 

‘You mean to say that I should make something for her? It does make sense.’ The princess thought, resting her chin over her hand. ‘She did help Bernadetta with painting and went cooking with Mercedes. Twice.’ She added, acidly. ‘I cannot do either of these things, however.’ 

‘Well, lady Edelgard, should I remind you of your talent with portraits?’ He grinned in victory as her eyes widened. ‘You could say you were trying to go back into drawing, but no inspiration came. Or that you wished to keep a memento of her and if she wouldn’t be so kind so as to be your model.’ 

‘Hush, Hubert, I can’t just ask her that!’ She huffed, cheeks reddening as her imagination ran wild with that prospect. ‘I could invite her over to talk wars and history, especially since she seems to know so little about Fódlan, and after a while I can give her a portrait as a gift.’ 

‘Yes, start with something impersonal. That could actually work. Just don’t make your meetings all about politics, or else you won’t grow… intimate.’ 

She gave a little smile in regards to that notion. After that they talked a bit about other subjects before eventually Hubert bowed and went to his own room. The night wasn’t still over for him, as someone was already waiting inside when he opened the door. 

The next day started a bit more cheerful than usual for Edelgard, as she had not only classes to look up to but also the possibility of actually doing something with the woman she had feelings for. 

The concept of being in love with someone was still foreign to her and hard to cope with, since it seemed like she was depositing a little of her personal power into Professor Byleth’s hands. However, it would be foolish for her to go on pretending there wasn’t something more than a mere crush happening. She daydreamed about them together, felt angry when others were getting her teacher’s undivided attention and wanted to get to know the woman better. 

Her moment of bliss was cut short when she saw Dorothea walking beside the professor, both on their way to class. Her classmate was talking excitedly about the opera and Byleth merely listened, nodding and asking further questions when it was appropriate. Edelgard’s cheeks flared. No, she would not lose their little contest, not so early in the morning either. 

‘My teacher!’ The princess affectionately said as she approached the duo. ‘How are you doing? Hello, Dorothea.’ she added as an afterthought, happy that the former songstress had flinched at her tone. 

‘Good morning Edelgard.’ Byleth replied with an amicable grin. ‘I am fine and you? How was your night?’

The princess felt her heart flutter with the sudden attention. ‘Oh, the same as always- some bad dreams and the likes.’

The professor fully turned to face her, frowning. ‘Really? Hm, you should go see Manuela about that, maybe she has something that can help you relax if these nightmares are so frequent.’ 

‘I might do that, thank you.’ Edelgard smiled, happy to see Dorothea rolling her eyes in annoyance. ‘Anyways, I was wondering if you could meet me at the plaza for some tea later on. I would like to discuss that book on tactics that you recommended to me the other day.’ 

‘Oh, of course.’ Byleth was still wondering what had gotten into her students recently. She had been craving some loneliness and had previously dismissed all of their invitations for the first time, yet wasn’t able to say no to her star pupil. ‘We could talk some during break if you want to, then continue after class.’ 

Dorothea had to suppress a sigh since she was one of those who had gotten a negative answer. She simply watched as Edelgard’s face lit up as she agreed to the proposition, then proceeded to walk alongside them towards the room. The students let Byleth go in first, then they faced each other. 

‘So the rumors are right.’ The songstress began. ‘You are in the competition after all.’ 

‘Just because I am late to it, it doesn’t mean I won’t play to win.’ The princess countered, her serious face a contrast to Dorothea’s open one. 

‘Hey, relax and enjoy the fun. What makes you think that one of us will actually get to kiss the professor?’ 

‘So why are you competing?’ Edelgard shot back, frowning. ‘Why would you go to such big lengths if you have no feelings for her?’ 

‘Feelings? As in, love?’ Dorothea sneakered. ‘No, no, most of us are in for the fun and for the change of pace as well. We do deserve a little excitement right?’ After a few seconds, she added: ‘Oh Edie, don’t tell me you have gone and fallen for the teacher, of all people!’ 

The princess fought hard to keep her voice steady and won, even though her heart was beating way too fast and loud for comfort. ‘Don’t be silly, Dorothea. I don’t have time for the foolishness of relationships and love.’ 

Before her classmate could reply, a bell rang and Byleth herself asked them to get in. Hubert was already in his chair, which wasn’t surprising since he had told her earlier in the morning he had other matters to solve before class. Pressing him did no good; the man was able to keep both his secrets and hers under lock and key. Thus she saluted him once she reached her chair and sat down for lessons, her mind confused after that little interlude with Dorothea.

Just talking to Byleth was a blessing. Being in her presence made Edelgard forget her troubles, her troubled past and worrisome plans for the future. There was only the then and there when they were alone together, something that started happening more and more often to the princess’s delight. 

It had started with that tea and book discussion. Afterwards, Byleth invited her for a library haul and highlighted some tomes that might interest Edelgard. One evening they walked around the monastery after supper, glancing at the moon and telling each other lighthearted stories of their past. 

The following day, they did paperwork together at the diner hall- Byleth corrected essays and Edelgard did her assignments- while getting to know each other some more. One evening, the professor invited her to help in the kitchen and they had a lot of fun throwing flour at each other (the kitchen staff was baffled to see two usually stoic women laughing and playing like that). Needless to say, the food wasn’t that good but at least they had shared some time together.

Meanwhile, other students continued to pursue Byleth. She declined most of their invitations, unless it involved scholarly subjects or troubles with assignments. The pupils soon picked up on that and turned tea offers into requests for further explanation on topics they had already mastered a while ago. It was flustering to try determining whether or not someone was lying to get her attention, so she usually tried explaining it before things could become more social. 

Edelgard, however, regarded others with an air of superiority. It was clear in her mind that she had already won - the professor gave her a much different kind of care than she did other students. Even the way she addressed the princess, with a kind smile that did indeed reach her eyes, was already proof that she shouldn’t worry about the competition.

In that particular evening they were yet again strolling around the lake, their bodies close. The sun had set some hours ago and there were several stars blinking lazily in the sky, yet the moon was nowhere to be seen. It had been a day off and the women had spent most of it together talking, working and sometimes just being with each other in silence. 

The princess was in heaven just for thinking about it. This had easily been one of the best days of her life- they had even brushed hands once or twice, no apologies needed. Feeling bold, she reached for Byleth’s arm and was delighted when the other woman not only accepted the gesture, but also gave a small, content smile as she turned to look at her student. 

Student, yes. Who was Byleth trying to fool? Edelgard had become more than that as they had grown more and more intimate. She had always had a hard time with feelings and relationships, yet she knew herself enough to realize when she wanted something more. 

Could she deal with the fact that the person in question also happened to be her student? Eh… that was the hard part, the one sole fact that had stopped her for kissing Edelgard so many times already. That, and not being sure if her student felt the same way. 

Blame Claude and his jokes for planting such an idea in her mind. He had come to her a few weeks before most of Garreg Mach started asking her out so as to say that maybe some students had a thing for her- and one in particular had more than just a thing for her. 

She had wondered at first if the person wasn’t Manuela and he had used the word “students” so as to confuse her, but her fellow professor had made no move at all whereas pupils from all classes began asking her out. Dorothea was a close second, especially since she seemed to be so enthusiastic about them hanging out together and talking about their lives before the monastery. 

Never in a million years, at least before that first book discussion, would she even imagine it was Edelgard. Sure, she had felt the young woman staring at her during class. And yes, she did seem to go out of her way to handle the best reports, to perform the best in battles, to outshine her peers in every way possible… 

And that was when it dawned on Byleth that maybe it had been Edelgard since the beginning. Could she afford to be wrong, though? What if she was being biased by that stupid conversation with Claude? 

Well, there was only one way to find out. 

The professor went for Edelgard’s hand and held it tenderly, waiting to see how the young woman would react. To her surprise, the princess beamed and caressed her fingers with her thumb while they continued to meander in silence.  
Eventually they reached the greenhouse. Further away they could see the stairs to the second floor, where Edelgard’s room was. Instead of going that way, the princess led them ahead, towards the first floor dormitories. 

‘Are you tired, Edelgard? Tomorrow will be a full day.’ Byleth inquired; as much as she didn’t want that moment to end, she couldn’t afford to have her student sleeping in class because of her. 

‘Not at all, my teacher. I want to walk with you a little more, if that is ok.’ The princess retorted, her voice steady even though their physical contact made her insanely happy.

‘Ok then, but let me know if you want to go back.’ Byleth said after smiling. ‘Garreg Mach is very different at night, so silent and still.’

‘Yes. It is beautiful in its own way. I have always found nighttime to be mysterious and enchanting, more so than daylight.’ 

The professor chuckled, unimpressed. ‘I agree. The calmness speaks to me as well and as a mercenary I used to do many missions at night or dawn.’ 

‘Do you miss those days?’ The younger woman inquired, leading them away from the students’ rooms. It would do no good if someone saw them together like that. 

‘Not exactly. It was the only life I knew, but being a teacher here has brought me a lot of good memories already.’ 

‘Oh? And here I thought you had grown bored of us already.’ The princess teased, her voice sarcastic. Her feet were leading them somewhere, but she couldn’t exactly pinpoint where. ‘What is your fondest memory insofar?’ 

Byleth thought for a few seconds and wasn’t stunned when all her options seemed to revolve around Edelgard. ‘It’s hard to say, but I guess walking with you under the night sky surely ranks top ten.’ 

A slow blush crept up on the princess’s cheeks and she smiled, looking straight at the professor’s eyes. ‘Funny, I could say the same.’ 

Without noticing it, they had arrived at the professor’s quarters. Before something else could be said, Byleth let go of Edelgard’s hand so as to touch her face, locking it into place. Then, she leaned in slowly so the younger woman would be able to protest if she wanted to, and gave her a small peck on the lips. 

‘Hm, this won’t do.’ The princess whispered, her cheek still leaning against the professor’s palm. Before Byleth could ask what she meant by that, Edelgard put her hands on the taller woman’s shoulders and pressed her against the stony wall. She hugged Byleth’s waist and kissed her, clumsy at first, then long and hard as she picked up the pace and let her emotions surface. 

All those days of staring, wanting, daydreaming about their first touch, their first kiss, all the worries that someone would get to seduce her Byleth… nothing had prepared her for that moment. Reality could indeed be better than her imagination, starting with the fact that it had been Byleth who took the first step. 

They stayed like this for a while, arms around each other and lips pressed together with no sense of danger or discovery. It was only when they pulled away so as to gasp for breath that they thought about going somewhere more secluded. Well, the professor’s own quarters were right beside them, right? 

They slipped inside and Byleth locked the door. A second later they were kissing again, their bodies as close as they could get, lips feverishly rubbing against each other. As they leaned against a nearby wall so as to make things more comfortable, Edelgard’s tongue pressed against the woman’s lower lip, begging for entrance. 

The kiss deepened and became hungrier, more urgent than either had thought possible. They hadn’t known how much they had honestly wanted each other, longed to be with each other, until that very moment. 

It didn’t take long until they were on the mattress with Edelgard sitting on Byleth’s lap. Their hands no longer stood idle and started exploring, tugging, groping under armor and clothes so as to get more, explore more, learn more about their bodies. The princess’s gloves had been removed during their kissing, but neither woman could exactly remember when. 

Byleth’s top was the first to come off and be tossed aside, just before they lay down. The princess stopped kissing the older woman for a moment and admired her muscular torso as well as the scars that adorned it, scars born from countless battles, countless weapons, countless times when she had had a small brush with death and survived. It was exquisite, unique, beautiful. It made Edelgard feel less shy about her own marks as well. 

She traced them with light fingers, watching in delight as this elicited a pleasured moan from her Byleth. She beamed and touched the woman’s breasts one at a time, ever so softly, while planting kisses on her stomach and lower belly. Her mouth traveled upwards and replaced her fingers, a gesture that rendered her more moans and touches that grew in urgency. 

Eventually Byleth could take it no more. She cupped Edelgard’s face and brought her up so they could kiss again, all the while fumbling with the princess’s top until she eventually was able to take it off. The professor wasted no time removing her pants and undergarments as well, to Edelgard’s complete surprise. 

They resumed kissing and the princess used that as a distraction to remove the last of Byleth’s clothes. However, she didn’t realize the woman was already shifting her weight, so she didn’t expect it when she was pinned underneath a triumphant Byleth. 

‘I have seen how you tend to take the lead in battles.’ The professor whispered as she tenderly bit Edelgard’s earlobe. ‘Don’t think I will let you act like that here as well.’ 

The princess was already high with pleasure at being touched in such a way, thus she couldn’t retort and indeed found it impossible to try fighting it, especially when Byleth’s fingers started drawing circles on her thighs, going closer and closer to her already wet entrance.

The younger woman shivered as Byleth kissed her neck, then her chest and finally one of her breasts. At that same moment she stopped teasing and went inside Edelgard, which made her moan louder than she intended to. 

After a while of too much teasing, the princess took Byleth’s chin and asked to be kissed while the older woman’s fingers increased their pace just slightly. The professor smiled whenever Edelgard moaned into their kisses, enjoyed seeing her come undone as she approached her climax. 

Once her walls tightened around Byleth’s fingers, she let her ride off the orgasm, muscles slack and face blushed with lust. The professor lay down beside Edelgard and softly kissed her lips, then drew her closer so the younger woman was nuzzling on her neck. 

The princess stood still for a few minutes, lulling her partner into a false sense of security. Then, she swiftly contracted all muscles at once and shifted them so that she was indeed on top of a very taken aback Byleth. Her expression of surprise alone was enough to make Edelgard feel victorious. 

‘Did you really think that was all?’ The younger woman whispered in a deep voice. ‘My my, Byleth… don’t underestimate me so.’ Something about saying her professor’s name was too enticing to pass by- and the other woman felt it too. 

She started by resuming her previous teasing, letting her hands freely explore Byleth’s body. Eventually her fingers came to the older woman’s entrance and she slipped in without preambles. Then, the princess kissed her Byleth’s mouth, chest, lower belly and inner thighs, until she tentatively licked her clit. 

Byleth moaned and let Edelgard experiment freely, as she was doing a really good job of hitting sensitive spots. Indeed, she didn’t last very long and ended up having to muffle screams against her own palm as she came. 

Edelgard kissed her way up Byleth’s body and went back to her starting position, nuzzling on the older woman’s chest as if nothing had happened. Byleth set protective arms around her once she had stopped trembling from her orgasm, and they stood in silence for some heartbeats. 

‘Edelgard…’ The professor started, barely over a whisper.

‘Please, call me El.’ The princess interrupted. ‘Just not in public, at least for now. Only a select few can call me that. Actually…’ she stopped and mused about it. ‘Only you are allowed to call me that.’ 

‘El… we have to be careful while you are a student here. That is, if you want to continue doing this.’ Byleth said, at a loss for words. 

Edelgard shifted so as to look at her Byleth straight in the eyes. ‘Yes, of course. We have six months of being careful ahead of us, but I’d wait longer for you if I had to.’

They beamed and Byleth placed a chaste kiss on El’s forehead. ‘I would, too. For as long as you needed me to wait.’ 

‘You won’t let me stay here though, will you?’ The princess inquired, unwilling to let go of her teacher so soon. 

The professor thought for a while, then said: ‘You can if you want to. I can sneak you out just before sunrise so nobody at your floor notices.’ 

El’s eyes lightened up and she nodded, pulling forgotten blankets over them both. ‘Sleep well, my Byleth.’ 

‘Good night, El.’ 

For the first time in too many years to count, Edelgard slept soundly and had no bad dreams at all.

It was around 4 am when Byleth gave Edelgard a last kiss after she successfully led the young woman back to her own quarters. Neither seemed tired, despite last night’s adventures, and she was about to leave when she remembered something: 

‘Oh, and if you see Claude tell him his bet is off.’ 

The princess paled, her heart beating at triple speed after those simple words. ‘Excuse me… bet? What bet?’ She managed to croak. 

The professor decided not to ask about her sudden reaction, at least not right then. ‘Well, he and I placed a bet just a few weeks ago. He said that I should not hide from romance and I said he was just being intrusive. It was decided that if I fell for someone, I would have to pay him a big sum of money and if he was wrong, he would have to do the same. 

‘That bet is off since somehow after that every student and their mothers started asking me out. That’s not really fair, is it? And I have a feeling he was behind that one too. You don’t happen to know anything about it, do you?’ 

El did her best to keep looking at Byleth and not let anger seep through her eyes. That trickster, that foul man, that… Claude had his hours counted, of that she was sure. 

‘No, I had no idea they were acting like that because of a bet. I’m very sorry you got entangled in this mess. If there’s something I can do to help…’ 

‘Just pass along my message if you see him before class. If not, I will do it myself.’ After that and another long, parting kiss, Byleth hurried outside and left behind a very flustered Edelgard.

The princess thought she had heard it all until she was walking toward the lake a little before class. She stopped as soon as she spotted Claude, Hubert and Ferdinand at the entrance hall, talking in joyous voices and apparently sharing between themselves everything from jewelry to coins and heirloom. Just what… 

More curious than afraid, she put on her best “I’m the future Emperor” expression and strolled to where they were. Each had a different reaction once they saw her: Claude smiled widely, Ferdinand looked away and Hubert curtsied. 

‘Oh hello princess, how is your day going? Or should I say, your niiight..’ He dramatically dragged that word, implying he knew more than he was letting out. 

Already used to his tricks so as to get information out of people, she let the whole thing slide. There was no way he… ‘It was good, thank you for asking. And you? Have you gone on a little treasure chest hunt again?’ 

‘Even better! The bet results are in and now me, Hubert and Ferdinand are very rich men. Of course, nothing compares to the prize you have gotten, which is Teach’s heart and affection.’ He blinked at her, noticing how slowly her cheeks were already turning red. 

‘I have no idea what you are talking about. Now, Ferdinand, Hubert, what is the meaning of your involvement in this?’ El retorted, lashing out upon her fellow Empire members. 

It turns out that the whole thing started once Claude overheard a concerned Hubert mention to his dear Ferdinand how worried he was that Edelgard seemed to be in love with professor Byleth, though totally clueless about it. 

Seeing how he could profit from it financially while also getting a very good laugh at the entire thing, Claude came up with the idea of starting first a bet with Teach, so as to plant the idea that someone was already in love with her. Then, after a few days, he started asking around and realized that most students wouldn’t mind getting closer to professor Byleth. 

That led to the final part of the plan, in which he started the betting system with the pupils, while he, Ferdinand and Hubert would stay out of it until Edelgard caved and started competing. Then, they would announce their bets on her and would become rich with their classmates’ money and valuables once El and Byleth finally hit it off. 

‘Well, joke is on you, we didn’t hit it off.’ Edelgard tried saying, even though she had grown more and more angry while listening to it. ‘And to think you were to one to start it, Hubert!’ 

‘I was overheard, my Lady. Plus, with what we have won I can pay for three or more marriage ceremonies at the Enbarr palace plus a castle of our own.’ He said, smiling warmly at Ferdinand. 

‘And don’t try denying the whole thing, I saw you two kissing outside of Teach’s quarters. What a kiss it was, eh?’ Claude teased, fanning himself. ‘Thank you, your Royalness, you’ve made us three very rich men. Now if you excuse me, I have another debt to receive- ‘

‘Oh, no you don’t.’ Edelgard interrupted, remembered her promise to the professor earlier that morning. ‘Byleth sent you a message through me. She said the bet is off since it wasn’t fair how practically every student in Garreg Mach started coming after her. She suspected you were involved in that as well.’ 

‘You are on first name terms already! Ah, the power of good betting.’ He laughed as the princess’s hands folded into fists. ‘Well, I’m still a rich man just from these darlings.’ He motioned to the boxes of stuff they had been sharing before Edelgard arrived. ‘But again, you are the one with the real riches, princess.’ 

Claude then got his things and started sauntering away, a satisfied smile playing on his lips at how everything had turned out.


End file.
